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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ELLIOT P. GLEASON, OF NEw YORK, N. Y.

AUTOMATIC FIRE-EXTINGUIS'H ER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 416,779, dated December 10, 1889. Application filed October '7, 1887. Renewed May 13, 1889. Serial No, 810,687. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ELLIOTT P. GLEASON, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Fire-EX- tinguishers, of which the following is a speci fication.

My invention relates to fire-extinguishers of that class known as sprinklers, my objects being the production not only of a simple and reliable extinguisher, the operation of which may be started and stopped by hand or which will start automatically, but also one which will stop automatically after a limited time and remain so if the fire has been extinguished, or if the fire continues will start in operation again; also, one which, when a fire occurs, will cause an alarm at anyplace desired, as the office or the dwelling of the superintendent or proprietor.

My invention consists in the construction. arrangement, and combination of parts and the combination of several devices whereby the objects before stated are attained, as will more fully appear in the following specification, of which the accompanying drawings form part, in which- Figure 1 shows a side elevation of the fireextinguishing device, a portion of the discharge-nozzle and the distributer being shown in central section, the weighted lever in elevated position, with the plug-valve closed and the electric connection open, and also a side elevation of a clock mechanism and a view,

' partly sectional, of the weight support and releasing device. Fig. 2 is a cross-section of the discharge-nozzle and plug-valve, showing construction of parts, the weighted lever connected and in fallen position, with the plugvalve, open and electric connection closed. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of a modified form of extinguisher with the plug-valve separate from the discharge-nozzle. Fig. 4; is a front view of a portionof the clock mechanism and the weight supporting and releasing device, also showingside view of the magnet-armature and connections. y Like letters and figures are used to designate like parts on all the figures.

A is an ordinary servicepipe, to a T or e1- .or combustible material.

how a, of which is secured a discharge-nozzle B, which is provided with a distributer for the extinguishing-fluid, of any suitable construction. I prefer a disk b, suspended on a central shaft 1) a short distance below the orifice of the discharge-nozzle B, as shown at Fig. l. Entering through an annular flange 1 on one of the sides of this nozzle Bis a plug 0, the inner end of which is adapted to serve as a valve and to close va port 2, the margin of which is adapted to serve for its seat, to and from which it is moved bya quarter-turn by means of the steep-pitch screw-thread on its periphery engaging a corresponding screwthread within the annular flange 1. To the outer end of this plug C a weighted lever D is secured. The free end of this lever D carries a weight d,which may be rigidly secured to it or may be swung from it, as preferred. A grooved pulley E is connected to this lever by its side plates 6 e, which are soldered to it with a solder that will fuse at low temperature. A cord or wire F passes between the plates 6 6 under the pulley E, one end of which is secured to an eyelet disk or plate f, which in turn is soldered onto another eyelet disk or plate f! with solder that will fuse at low temperature, and this plate f is secured .to a suitable fastening f", located at a point above (and preferably behind) the fulcrum of the lever D and stop-cock C, so as to have the length of the cord or wire between the pulley E and the plate f enough to allow the lever D to drop to a vertical position. The plate f is secured to the fastening fby a loop or tie G, of cord or tape, which has the properties of a fuse or is made of explosive This cord or tape G is made of such length that whenever desired its free end or portion G will reach and coil around or about the place, machine, or material where fire may occur and serve as a fire-transmitter, rapidly transmitting fire,

' when it becomes ignited, to the loop G. i

The cord or wire F, extending from the plate f, passes under the pulley E 011 the lever D, then upward over the pulley E,which is positioned at a point about vertically over the pulley E when the lever D is in horizontal position. The cord or wire 'F then passes on over suitable pulleys to any desired place,

terminating in connection to a ring f or any other suitable hand-grip and catching device adapted to hook to the weight H, hereinafter described. In the course of this cord or wire F a spiral spring f is intervened and serves to impart an elastic function tothe action of the cord or wire F, thus preventing shock or jar from any sudden strain.

A weight H, heavier than the weight d on the free end of the lever D, is suspended upon a tripping-lever I, which is pivoted to the lugs is 7c of a supporting-plate K, which I is securely fastened in position on a wall or post at a proper distance above the floor to allow room for the weight H to fall a distance equal to the length of the wire or cord F between the plate f and the pulley E when the lever D is in the horizontal position. lever I is formed with hook-shaped prongs M on its lower end, which are adapted to catch and hold to the ring-bolt or T-handle of the weight 11. Its other end 1" extends upward behind a semi-cylindrical cam L, which serves to lock it in position. This cam L is securely mounted in a lug or bearing projecting from the plate K, in which it is adapted to revolve, and it is connected to a device of clock mechanism M by means of the shaft Z. This clock mechanism maybe such as is used in an alarm-clock, and capable of being set for motion to such time limit as may be desired. Attached to this clock mechanism are an electro-magnet N and armature 'n, which are positioned close 'to the fan m of the clock mechanism and in such relation thereto that whenever the armature n is not drawn against the electro-magnet N alu g or projection from itwill intercept a wing of the fan m, and thus prevent motion of the clock ma? chinery until such times as the armature n is drawn against the electro-magnet N, when the machinery will be released and free to run and revolve the connecting-shaft Z and cam L until it comes to the position as shown by the dotted line at L, when the lever I will be released and will swivel on its pivot and release the weight II.

- Wires 0 0 connect the electro-magnet N with a battery S and a switch-piece P, which is secured to the stop-cock by an insulating ring g, and which is adapted for contact with and electrical connections with the heel end (1' of the lever D, which, it will be observed, is also adapted for such connection. It will also be observed that the leverD may be actuated by hand either to open or close the cock and start or stop the flow of extinguishing-fluid simply by unhooking the ring or grip from the weight H. Thereby any person present, when a fire occurs, may start the extinguisher in operation or stop it when the fire is extinguished. A circuit of wire 0 o is made from the pipes A and the battery S, which is adapted to connect with an ordinary electric alarm located in the office or other place desirable, thus completing what is involved in this invention.

This

I The clock mechanism being wound up and set to a time limit, and all the parts in the position as shown by Figs. 1 and 4, my invention is ready for operation, which is as follows: Should a fire occur near by where it is located, it will be communicated to the firetransmitting tape or cord G, which in'turn will rapidly transmit it to the loop G, which will instantly burn and sever, or the heat generated by the fire will fuse the solder holding the plates f and f together, and they will separate. In either case the cord or wire F will drop, and the lever D and weight d, being released from the support of the cord or wire F, will also drop, thus turning the plugvalve 0 and permitting the extinguishingfiuid to flow through the pipes and nozzle and to be thoroughly istributed by the distributer b. At the same time the heel end (1' of the lever D is swung in contact with the switch-piece P and connection made for the electric current supplied by the battery S, which magnetizes the electro-magnet N and draws the armature n against it and away from the fan m, thus' leaving the clock machinery free to run the limit of time for which it has been set, thereby revolving the cam' L to the position shown by the dotted lines at L, whereupon the lever I, being released, swivels and unhooks the weight H, which falls to the floor, drawing with it the cord or wire F, and through it drawing the weighted leverD back to its horizontal position,: thus turning the plug-valve G and stopping the fiow of fluid. It should be observed that the plate f, to which the cord or wire F is firmly attached, is too large to pass between the plates 6 e of the pulley'E, and that it will catch there, thereby serving as the needed attachment of the said wire to the lever D. If after the above action has taken place the fire should still continue, then the solder holding these plates 6 e to the lever D will be fused by the heat generated, and the lever D, again released, will fall, and, as before stated, the plug-valve be opened and the extinguishingfluid permitted to flow. It will be noted, however, that the solder joining these plates and the'lever will not fuse at so low a temperature as that joining the plates f and f, because of the greater amount of metal to be heated. connection is made between the heel d of the lever D and the switch-piece P electric force from the battery S will be transmitted through the wires 0 0 to any connected alarm in the office -or other place, which will con tinue to sound until the connection is broken by the return of the lever D to the horizontal position.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In automatic fire-extinguishers, a nozzle provided with a distributer for the extinguishing-fluid, a plug-valve having a screw-thread on its periphery, which engages in and enters At the same time that the electrical through an internally-screwthreaded annular flange opened in the side of the said nozzle and is adapted to close a port within the same, and an internally threaded annular flange attached to the side of said nozzle and adapted to receive said plug-valve, in combination with a lever secured to the outer endof said plugvalve and suitable means for operating the same, in the manner and for the purpose specified.

2. The combination, in an automatic fireextinguisher having a system of pipes and distributing devices with valves which are operated by weights, of a trip-lever, as I, its

supporting-plate, as K, locking-cam, as L, weight, as H, wireor cord, as F, and clock mechanism, as M, arranged in the manner and for the purpose described.

3. In automatic fire-extinguishers having a valve controlling the flow of an extinguish mechanism adapted to effect the release of a counter-weight, as H, a counter-weight, as H, and a wire, as F, connecting the same to the said weight-ed lever, substantially in the manner and for the purpose described.

4. 'lhecombination, in an automatic fireextinguisher consisting of a system of pipes, discharge-nozzle, and valve actuated by a weighted lever, ofa weighted lever, a counterweight of greater gravity than said lever, and which is normally supported in elevated position by means of a device adapted to trip and release it, a cord, chain, or wire having one or more joints which will fuse in a comparatively low temperature, and which 0011- nects said weighted lever to said counterweight, so as to serve as the means of supporting said weighted lever in elevated position, a tripping device, substantially as described, for supporting said counter-weight, which is adapted to be released by the action of a clock mechanism, and a clock mechanism adapted by suitable means to be started in motion when said weighted lever falls.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have signed my name, in presence of two witnesses, this 30th. day of September, 1887.

ELLIOTT P. GLEASON. Witnesses:

JAMES 0. RYAN, JOHN A. MCKAY. 

